Tag: Blogmas2018

Blogmas 2018 – my first Braille chocolate advent calendar

Regular readers of this blog will know that I care about accessibility and accessible products.
In terms of advent calendars, when I was a child, my Nan always helped to prepare them. We typed the number in Braille onto clear sticky-back plastic, cut them out, and my Nan stuck them on the right doors.
Now Sean helps with the beauty calendars – I type out the labels and he sticks them on the appropriate box so that I can locate and open it myself.
However, for the first time this year, I got a chocolate advent calendar that was ready to go! No adaptations needed. I just wait for the right day, locate the number in Braille that is already printed on the door, and open it to get the day’s chocolate.
Just a simple thing that kids (and adults) all over the country take for granted, but up until now, this hasn’t been possible.
Braille chocolate advent calendars are nothing new in Germany – I know they’ve been around for a few years – but so far I haven’t seen one in the UK.
That’s why I was happy when one of my friends offered to send me one.
I know it’s a bit late to share this now – tomorrow we are opening day 12, but I firstly wanted to give a shout out to the company that is making them, and secondly wanted to let other people know for next year – whether that’s parents of blind children, or Braille-reading adults who want an accessible chocolate calendar.
The doors are arranged in 8 rows with 3 doors in each row. There are differences between German and English Braille, but the numbers are the same and there is no other writing on the calendar, so there would be no problems with confusing younger or new Braille readers.
This page about the advent calendar is in German, but there is also an email address where you can order it, and the company accepts Paypal. I’m not sure how much it would cost to get one sent from Germany to the UK if you order it directly, but it’s not a heavy calendar, so it shouldn’t be much.

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.
Body Shop – a shine liquid lip gloss. I haven’t tried any of these before, and although I don’t often wear lip gloss, it’s always good to have a change sometimes!
Glossybox – I can’t actually find the link for this, but it’s the Bellapierre kissproof lip finish – a clear lip topper to give a glossy finish to liquid lipsticks. The only lipstick I tried from this brand nearly clamped my lips shut because it was so sticky, so I can see why they came out with a product like this. I don’t have the other lipstick any more, but would use this topper on other liquid lips if I think they feel as though they would dry out my lips.
This post may contain affiliate links.

Blogmas 2018 – 7 ways to keep warm this Winter

When I get cold, I get grumpy! Not the same level of grumpy as when I haven’t had enough coffee – because that’s really bad – but I don’t do well when I’m cold!
One solution is to turn the heating up, but that doesn’t always work when you’re going out in the cold, and in any event it’s nice to snuggle up under something warm on an evening in.
So what else can you do to stay warm? Here are five low-cost ideas:

1. Baths

I love baths. They make me slow down, stop doing things, and take some time out to relax and destress. I know some people get bored in the bath, but this is never a problem that I’ve had. It’s time for me to have only positive sensory input – no noise –just a warm place to spend some time and unwind.
There are so many amazing products to help with this – from bath soaks to bubble bars and oils or shower gels that nourish your skin while you soak.
Baths are also good for getting warm too – as long as you don’t set the temperature too hot, or your skin won’t thank you for it!

2. Wrapping up warm

I can’t have wool next to my skin, which means a lot of woolly jumpers, hats, and things like that are out for me. All I’d be able to think of is the how annoying it is to feel the wool against me and I’d never get anything else done! But there are loads of other options such as fleecy things, or synthetic materials that don’t feel the same as wool.
I found some gloves at a Christmas market a couple of weeks ago that are very warm, but have two holes – one for the thumb, and one for all the fingers. They’re then cut off where the fingers start – which is good for anyone who still wants to use their hands.
Even cotton scarves can be warm – sometimes just having something round your neck is enough. I have thicker woolly ones, velvet ones, one with Labrador puppies, and one that came as a gift a couple of years ago with an owl hanging from it. Most people think it’s a necklace, but it keeps me warm as well.

3. Snuggling under a blanket

Blankets don’t have to be wool either – you can get some really soft ones either to suit your colour scheme, or with a picture of something that you like. S bought us some warm blankets with wolves on last year – one for our bed and a smaller one for the sofa in my office.

4. Wear a coat when it’s cold

I don’t want to judge, but on Saturday there were people at the Christmas market in the cold and pouring rain with no coats on. People going out to Christmas parties, not wanting to put a coat on because it would ruin the outfit. You don’t have to keep it on all night, but at least give yourself the option of wearing one!

5. Keep the cold out

See if you have any places at home where the cold is getting in. Windows, keyholes, external doors. If you can illuminate the draughts, the house will feel warmer.
In a previous job, my desk was directly under the air con unit and the cold air always came straight down to where I was sitting. It was so uncomfortable until I persuaded someone to come and deal with it!

6. Keep moving

I have a job that involves sitting at a desk all day, but I try and build in some exercise too, because apart from the obvious health benefits, working out also gets your blood circulation going and helps you to feel warmer.

7. Hot chocolate

If it’s cold outside, it’s good to indulge now and again in a steaming mug of hot chocolate. I’ve been buying chocolate orange or chocolate mint recently, but there are so many varieties available now. And those little chocolate sets with a mug and chocolate also make a nice little gift.
Do you have any more tips to add?

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.
Body Shop – two products today, both from the Fuji green tea range. We have the purifying shampoo and the hydrating conditioner. I don’t think I’ve tried these, because I usually go for the banana or strawberry haircare products, so I look forward to trying these out.
Glossybox – a deluxe sample of the BareMinerals skinlongevity vital power infusion serum. I didn’t know this brand also did skincare – I thought it was just mineral make-up. We won’t dwell on the fact that the first time I heard of this brand I was looking for Bear Minerals! I used this serum in my skincare routine this morning and liked it. It promises to empower, renew, replenish and fortify, so let’s see!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Blogmas 2018 – looking after Dogs Trust dogs on Christmas Day

Today’s post is the next in my series of posts about charities, and today we’ve got an interview from a Dogs Trust volunteer who tells us what it’s like working at the rehoming centre with the dogs on Christmas Day. The header image is of Amy and sponsor dog Mike.
Thanks to Amy for answering my questions, and to Em from the Dogs Trust for arranging the interview.

1. What’s a typical Christmas Day like at one of your centres?

Christmas Day at the rehoming centre is very much a typical day so the normal cleaning, feeding, exercising and training. It’s a normal day at work for us but we try to add extra bits to make some good festive fun for everyone at the centre, two and four legged!
We like to be as festive as we can be, so we wear Santa hats and Christmas jumpers to get in the spirit! In the morning it is business as usual, so we ensure all the kennels have been cleaned and the dogs have had their morning walks.
On Christmas morning we try and squeeze in lots of group walks so everyone can join in! Of course, we have some dogs who would prefer the quieter way of life, so for them it’s time for some focused one-to-one training. We make sure that all dogs have a little extra fuss as it’s Christmas! It’s also lovely for us to get a bit of additional time with the dogs as we’re not open to the public.
Next is Christmas lunch for all the staff which is always a team effort, prepared by everyone in the rehoming centre that day. And, it’s always delicious!
Our dogs get a special Christmas dinner too. A very generous local turkey farmer kindly donates turkey leg meat which we cook for the dogs. Our dogs are constantly monitored by our veterinary team, so everything is given in moderation, and we always make sure to get a bit of veg in there too!

2. Do the animals get presents or any special treats?

Our supporters are fantastic all year round with donations, but they are always extra generous at Christmas with treats and toys, which really helps the dogs feel extra special on the big day! Extra supplies come in handy after their lunch, so when we’re tucking into our dinner the dogs can savour a long-lasting chew!
Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross Mike, our Sponsor Dog gets very spoilt at Christmas with lots of gifts from his wonderful sponsors. He loves to open them all and is very generous, sharing them with his doggie friends at the rehoming centre. He gets sent all kinds of goodies from toys and treats, to blankets and coats from his generous sponsors all around the country
As we get to Christmas night and all the dogs are tucked up in bed, we go home to celebrate with our families as the next team arrive for more fun on Boxing Day!

3. How do you feel about working when other people are at home with their families?

When I applied for the job as a Canine Carer, it was a given that there would be times we would have to work during holidays. I don’t mind though, the dogs in our care and the team at the centre are all part of the Dogs Trust family, and that’s what Christmas is all about
It always surprises me how many people ask if we have Christmas off, but the dogs need our love and care every day. We are their home until they find their special someone, and it’s a joy to be able to be one of the people who provide them with everything they need until that happens.
I love dogs and my job, and spending time with them isn’t a chore! Working Christmas Day means we tend to get a second Christmas with our families. It’s a win/win situation when you get two Christmas days, right?

4. Do you have any stories about dogs at the centre that you have become fond of?

Where do I start? there are so many!
First there is Mike, the Sponsor Dog. This will be our fourth Christmas together and I love watching him open his presents – he is so funny to watch! He devours his Christmas dinner and always has room for more! Then he goes out for a walk with some of his walking buddies and we have a snuggle before he finishes the day with a long snooze. He is just a joy to be around at any time of the year, but he does get extra excited on Christmas day by all the treats.
Then there is Mr Branston Pickles, a gorgeous Crossbreed who will be spending this Christmas in his new home after being with us for two years. He is going to love being snuggled up by the fireplace, opening his presents in his new home. It’s what we work towards and makes the hard work worth it.
Over the Christmas period we often see an increase of dogs being handed over, or even abandoned. Last year, Dogs Trust had nearly 5,000 calls from people wanting to hand over their dogs in the month after Christmas – and sadly we think this will happen again.
Back on Christmas Eve in 2015, two strays found themselves with us, so we called them Twinkle and Santa. Twinkle was a nervous, small Lurcher and Santa was a friendly Shih-Tzu who became wonderful friends, and a favourite duo amongst the team!
Then, in 2016 we met Mary, Gabriella, Melchior, Balthazar, Angel and Casper, our Christmas puppies! They were Staffie cross Lurcher pups who were an unwanted accidental litter, so they came into the centre to be looked after until we could find them new homes. They brought us so much Christmas cheer, lots of mess and lots of cuddles!
And finally, there is Staffordshire Bull Terrier Peggy-Sue, my little Christmas cherub. She was a stray who arrived at the centre in June 2016. She quickly found herself a new home but sadly it wasn’t to be, so I started fostering her from late October that year. She spent her first Christmas with me, my partner, nan and grandad. We fell in love and adopted Peggy in October 2017, so she spent her second Christmas with us last year. I was working so she spent the day with my partner watching Christmas films and waiting for me to come home so we could open all our presents and eat our Christmas dinner together. This will be her third Christmas with us and we can’t wait!

5. What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of buying a puppy as a Christmas present?

We would always ask anyone considering bringing a four-legged friend into their life to rehome a rescue dog. We have thousands of dogs of all shapes and sizes in our rehoming centres waiting to meet their special someone. We would never recommend buying a puppy from any online source, but instead to do your research thoroughly so you can be confident that the puppy you have your eye on has been bred responsibly.
We have a wealth of advice on our website to help people be confident that they are buying a puppy from a good breeder, instead of a seller who makes a living pedalling sick puppies who may have been illegally imported into this country.
We want people to realise that if an advert seems too good to be true, it probably is. And, when you visit a puppy you should expect the breeder to be as curious about you and the home you can provide, as you are about the puppy. If anyone ever feels rushed into making a purchase, they should walk away. It’s hard to do but it’s the right thing to do. If something doesn’t quite feel right, or anything about the situation feels dodgy – report them to Trading Standards.

6. How can members of the public help Dogs Trust at this time of year?

There are so many ways that people can get involved at Christmas. We are always super grateful for any donations, and each centre has lots of different volunteering opportunities, so it’s always best to check our website to see what is happening at your local rehoming centre! Dogs Trust also runs a big fostering scheme for dogs who struggle with kennel life, so if this is something that might be for you, we can give you lots of information!

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed getting a look behind the scenes at what it’s like at the centre and I hope you did too. Later this month I’ll be bringing you another post about when S and I visited one of the centres, but for now, if you want to know any more, the Dogs Trust website is a great place to start. There is a lot of information on there, whether you’re interesting in rehoming opportunities, volunteering, or making a donation. If you have any questions, you can also leave them in the comments and I’ll make sure they are passed on.

Blogmas 2018 – cheese advent calendar

So, S had to pop out and get something for the workmen that were doing a job on our house, and he came back with lunch, plus a gift for me! Yes, it was another advent calendar, but a different one this time – one filled with cheese.

I’d love to link it, but it seems both Sainsburys and Asda have sold out!

The main point of writing this wasn’t to gloat about my wonderful cheese calendar that you can’t get any more, but to point out that if you can’t have/don’t like chocolate, or beauty calendars aren’t your thing, you don’t have to miss out on the whole advent calendar thing if you want to be involved. There are some with sweets in, some with cheese, and even a chilli one. I’ve only just seen that whilst doing some research for this post – I’ll have to remember that for S next year! There are also tea and coffee ones, ones with alcohol, and even ones for animals! I don’t suppose they understand, but they wouldn’t say no to a doggy-friendly treat!

In the cheese calendar there is a small round piece of cheese each day. I’ve been doing the continental breakfast thing and having the cheese with a roll or some crackers. Usually I just skip breakfast entirely, but it’s been interesting to try out some cheeses – from standard ones like cheddar and Edam, to more unusual ones like a festive cranberry one. I’ve also discovered I like Jarlsberg…I think there’s a ginger cheese in there too, which should be interesting, but I haven’t got to it yet.

How about you. Have you seen any food or drink advent calendars this year that are a bit unusual?

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.

Body Shop – an eye shadow brush that I won’t be reviewing, because it’s the next item in the giveaway!

Glossybox – a travel size shower gel in strawberry cupcake from Patisserie de Bain. I haven’t had the shower gel before, but I’ve had the hand cream in this scent. The brand is basically cake shop for the bathroom, so all of the products smell sweet like desserts. My favourites are lemon and cherry, but I like this strawberry one as well, and I’m always happy about fruity shower gels!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Blogmas 2018 – gifts that keep giving

There are sooo many gift guides being written for Blogmas – I wanted to do something a bit different! So these gifts are things that don’t just show up at Christmas time. They’re subscriptions. So you can usually choose whether it’s for 3, 6 or 12 months, but the person gets a treat throughout the year, and not just in December. It’s something to look forward to, and also a chance to try out a new product or service more than once. So here are some ideas for you – either of things that I have tried myself, or things that I would like to try.

Food

This was actually my introduction to subscription services. My boyfriend got a gift subscription to The Spicery around 4 years ago and we decided to continue with it. In fact we still get the boxes through our door now! Each month you can choose between a series of recipes. You then get the recipe card with easy-to-follow instructions, along with all the spices and dry ingredients that you need, already measured out and blended for you. All you need to do is buy the other ingredients. This is a great gift for anyone who loves cooking and maybe wants to try some new dishes, or things they wouldn’t have attempted before. It’s also good because nothing goes to waste and you don’t end up with a huge pot of something you’ll never use again. S and I do like spicy food, but you don’t have to get really spicy options if that’s not your thing.

I haven’t tried this service out yet, but when scrolling around on the internet, I came across the Pong cheese subscription – a cheese club that you can customise and receive a new box of cheese each month. Are you listening Santa? That would be fun to receive!

Books

Two years ago S got me an Audible subscription as part of my Christmas present. This is especially good if you want to give someone books for Christmas, but you don’t know exactly what they like, or which books they have already read. After the subscription finished, we kept it up and now get new books to listen to together every month. You choose them on the Audible site, and can then download them on your phone or tablet.

If you’re interested, you can use my Audible free trial link (If you are based in Germany, use my German link.

Beauty boxes

Perhaps the best known of the subscription boxes, you can give the beauty lover in your life one of these so that they can try out some new skincare or make-up treats each month. There are so many on offer, but here are a few to choose from:

Glossybox – this is a box that I have been getting throughout 2018 and I’d recommend it if the person you’re buying for likes a mixture of make-up and skincare. My code KIRSTY-RGE entitles you to 20% off your first box – this may also give you a discount on gifts, so it’s worth a try if you are thinking of gifting a Glossybox subscription.

The Pip box – I haven’t tried this, but I’ve seen videos about it on YouTube – a box for the green beauty lover who is interested in cruelty-free and natural products. I thought this looked interesting and am considering looking into it next year.

Lookfantastic – this is also something I’d like to try next year – it’s similar to Glossybox, but does tend to focus more on skincare than make-up, which is more my thing, so I’d be interested to give it a go. I haven’t tried it before, but it does tend to get good reviews.

Flowers

If you’d like a longer-lasting floral gift for someone to brighten up their home, Bunches do a monthly gift subscription service. There are three categories to choose from, ranging in price, and you choose how many months the gift will last.

Coffee

Surprisingly I haven’t tried this yet, even though the first thing I do in the morning is to make my first cup of coffee! There is a Coffee club subscription where someone gets to try two new coffee brands from around the world each month. You choose whether they want ground coffee or coffee beans, and then the packets of coffee are sent to them. The link takes you to a 3-month subscription, but there are others. I’d love to try this as well!

How about you?

Have you been given, or have you given a subscription as a Christmas present? If so, let us know what it was in the comments!

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.

Body Shop – a full-size black eye liner pencil. I can’t tell you what I think of this, because it’s going to be product 3 in the giveaway box! Use the form below if you would like to enter.

Glossybox – a lip primer from 3ina I’ve had a couple of cream eye products from this brand, pronounced Mena, but I haven’t tried anything from their lip range yet. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever used a lip primer! It was thinner than I had expected – the idea is that you use it like an eye primer, but for lips. So apply a thin coat before your lipstick. This isn’t something I would have gone out and bought, so it’s nice to have the chance to try it.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Blogmas 2018 – looking after your hair in Winter

I have very long hair, and although I try to take good care of it all year round, Winter presents its own set of challenges because of wet and windy weather, central heating, and the fact that a lot of us go out more and style our hair more around Christmas time.

So I thought I’d put together some tips for looking after your hair in Winter. I have long, thick, straight hair, so I know more about that than other types of hair, but most of these tips can be applied to any type of hair.

1. Keep your hair from blowing around in the wind and rain

Whether you choose to do this by tying it back, wearing a hat or hood, or using a scarf to keep it down, if you keep your hair from blowing around, it won’t get tangled and you won’t risk snapping the strands when you try to tame it again. This also helps to prevent the scarecrow look – or the medusa look as I sometimes get in the car with the windows open!

You can also carry a travel brush around in your bag so if you do get a bit windswept, you can sort it out rather than walking around with tangles.

If you’re worried about hats and scarves causing frizzy, messy hair, you can carry around a small frizz taming product to tame the unruly bits on the go.

2. Show your hair some love

When it’s exposed to elements that dry out your hair, it’s nice to make time for pamper evenings too, including a nourishing, hydrating hair mask. A couple of my favourites are the banana one from the Body Shop and the oatmeal and honey one from Korres.

I don’t make my own masks, but if you don’t want to buy one, you can use raw honey. Honey is a humectant, which means it seals in the moisture and can help if you have dry or damaged hair.

3. Try to go easy on the styling

It’s easy for me to say as someone who doesn’t straighten their hair, but if you are going to a lot of parties, and want to blow-dry and then style or straighten your hair, try to give your hair a rest on days when you don’t have as much planned.

If you’re going to use heat products, try using a heat protection spray.

4. Hydrate from the inside

I know I don’t drink enough water at the best of times – because all the coffee I drink doesn’t count. But if you are giving your body enough hydration by drinking lots of water, this will be good for your hair too.

5. Don’t go out with wet hair

Apart from increasing your chance of getting a cold, going out in the cold with wet hair can also cause your hair to freeze and break.

6. Don’t forget to have a trim

You might be busier over the Christmas period, but don’t forget to book in for your regular trims. Nobody wants split ends, and if winter weather is making the ends of your hair more dry and brittle than usual, having them tidied up is a good thing.

7. Vary the pressure points

If you’re going to put your hair up, try having your pony tail at different heights, so you don’t put pressure in the same place every time. If you put your hair up in a clip, it’s mainly the sides that are being pushed into the clip, so make sure you remember to condition them well and be gentle with them. Plaits can be good to prevent tangles, but don’t pull them too tight, or you risk breaking the strands.

8. Don’t let the water run too hot

It’s tempting if you’ve been out in the cold and you want a really hot bath or shower to warm you up again, but really hot water doesn’t do your skin or hair any favours because it dries them out.

Have you got any more tips? Let us know in the comments!

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.

Body Shop – – a 50ml tub of the Ethiopian green coffee cream. This is part of the Spa of the World® range and it’s enriched with caffeine, known for its stimulating properties (you may have heard of shampoo with caffeine). It promises to leave your skin feeling firmer and smoother. I’ve had this before – it’s a lovely cream if you get past the fact that it doesn’t smell of coffee. I was hoping it would, but if you don’t start with this expectation, it’s a good body moisturiser.

Glossybox – the greater than mascara from MDMFlow (full-size). I haven’t had anything from this brand before and look forward to trying this out once I’ve used up a couple of my other mascaras. #The packaging makes it feel more expensive, and it promises to enhance and volumise lashes. The brush is indented, so it will be interesting to see how that works out because I usually prefer straight ones! I’ll report back on it once I’ve tested it out properly.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Blogmas 2018 – festive gifts from the Body Shop

Any regular readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of the Body Shop! I picked up a few things from there recently and would like to tell you about the three Christmas ranges this year, represented by a fox, an owl and a reindeer, who are also featured on the advent calendars.

As well as a number of gift sets, there is no reason why you can’t make up your own with products that you know someone will like – either from the traditional ranges, or the special Christmas ones.

This year there are three festive scents – berry bon bon, vanilla marshmallow, and peppermint candy cane. I had a sniff of them all, and decided that I liked the vanilla one most, though I am sad that they haven’t brought back my favourite spiced apple one, or tried something citrusy.

Anyway, I bought the body lotion in vanilla marshmallow, which is thinner than the body butters and although you can smell the vanilla, it isn’t overpowering. There was a “buy one, get one half price” offer on at the same time, so I picked up the shower gel as well. On the way to the till, S noticed the little owl bath bomb (they do them in all three animal designs), so I got one of those too.

The berry bon bon one is a bit like a Christmas trifle, and it’s more suited to people who like sweet scents. I got something from this range in my advent calendar today, and it is something I would use, although I liked the other one more. To be honest there isn’t much from the Body Shop that I wouldn’t use – it’s just a case of which scents you prefer.

I smelled the candy cane one, but didn’t pick up anything from the range – partly because they didn’t have any minis, and partly because I am not sure about wanting to smell of peppermint all day. It’s nice enough though, especially if you want something fresh rather than sweet.

You can get gift sets, such as the festive sack, which contains 4 minis from a scent range such as the marshmallow festive sack. Or, if you know someone likes the body butters, you can give them the chance to try all three with the body butter trio.

I’d also heard some really good things about the vitamin C skin reviver, so I picked one up. I think this is now my new favourite primer. It goes on after moisturising, helps to revive dull skin, and you can then apply your make-up straight on top. Skincare had a 3 for 2 offer, so I picked up another bottle of the eye make-up remover and although I really wish they’d put it in a pump bottle not a tub, the vitamin C glow-boosting moisturiser.

At the time of writing, the Body Shop has 30% off if you use the code 14664 – exclusions apply. It’s a perfect time to get any stocking-fillers or gifts for your Body Shop-loving friend or relative!

Have you tried any of these products? Which is your favourite?

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.

Body Shop – today it was something from the berry bon bon range – a 50ml body butter. These sizes are perfect to test out a scent and see what you think of it, and I’ll be trying mine out after my cycling session later.

Glossybox – today I got a deluxe mini of the Philip Kingsley body-building conditioner. I’ve had hair treatments from this brand before, but I haven’t tried any of their conditioners. It contains wheat protein to strengthen the hair and also promises to detangle and add shine, so I look forward to trying it out.
This post may contain affiliate links.

Blogmas 2018 – supporting the Donkey Sanctuary this December

I mentioned in my Blogmas is coming post that I would be talking about three charities throughout Blogmas, and the first one of these posts is today.
According to the Donkey sanctuary’s website, there are 50 million donkey around the world. The sanctuary works to improve the lives of donkeys worldwide, training vets, helping people to learn how to take better care of their donkeys, contributing to research, and also working to put an end to cruel treatment. The various sanctuaries around the UK also provide homes for the donkeys in their care.
I mentioned last time how you can adopt a donkey, but the adoption packs can also be given as Christmas presents to the animal-loving friend who would like to know that the money for their gift went to a good cause.
Alternatively, the donkey sanctuary has a range of gifts that can be bought either online, or from their shop in Sidmouth, Devon. I particularly like the donkey foal – one of the more expensive things on there, but there are gifts for all budgets, and things such as cards, bags, magnets, pictures, and sculptures.
For anyone who is in the Devon area and who wants to go along, there is a Carols by Candlelight service at the Sidmouth Centre on 14th December, from 3pm till 7pm. Entrance is free, and after some festive music in the yard, you’ll be able to go to the barn, where a 45-minute carol service will be held, surrounded by the donkeys! You may even hear them singing along! No booking necessary. Dogs on leads are welcome.
If you’d like to listen, but can’t be in the area, the sound on the barn webcam will be turned on – so listen out for those donkey brays if you decide to listen in! You can find out more about Carols by Candlelight here.

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.
Body Shop – Lash Hero fibre extension mascara – I have never tried this. It’s a two-step mascara with a lash primer and then the mascara part with extension fibres. I’ll need to find some tactile way of marking which one you use first because by touch bot h ends feel the same unless you want to touch the wand, which I don’t! I have a couple open at the moment, but look forward to giving this a go once I’ve used up some of my others.
Glossybox – a Yankey candle in the scent berry trifle. I knew there was a candle in there, but I didn’t realise it was one of the little ones in a glass jar. This is a lovely addition to the calendar and will make the room smell festive (in general I think Christmas desserts smell better than they taste anyway!) So again, two good products today!
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Blogmas 2018 – brussel sprouts

They’re a bit like marmite! You probably either think they’re an important part of the Christmas dinner, or you can’t stand them. Either way, we apparently eat more of them in the UK than in any other country in Europe, and if you go to any restaurant for a Christmassy meal, you’ll find a couple on your plate. Yes, I’m talking about brussel sprouts!

I didn’t even realise that people bought and enjoyed them at other times of the year, but I know at least 3 people who do!

I bought the Christmas decoration in the picture because I thought it would be amusing to have an enormous sprout hanging from our tree, but S is less of a fan than I am an he wasn’t impressed!

I have to say, I don’t particularly like them (when I did Christmas with a couple of friends, I only agreed to have the obligatory one sprout on my plate each year), but I think part of that comes down to the fact that traditionally we don’t do anything very exciting with them. Perhaps if we spiced them up or masked the flavour somehow, they might be ok? That’s why I went in search of some recipes to make them a bit more interesting. More of that later, but first some sprout facts for you.

Did you know that there are over 100 types of brussel sprouts?

Did you know that sprouts contain vitamins A and C?

Did you know that the long period of hot weather this Summer caused concern about whether there would even be enough sprouts for Christmas 2018? I’ve seen plenty in the shops though, so either we’ve imported them or the damage to the harvest wasn’t as bad as predicted.

Did you know that we’re not just fussy eaters? The reason why some people don’t like sprouts is genetic. There’s a gene that makes sprouts taste bitter to some people.

Did you know that the area covered by sprout fields in the UK has been compared in the past to over 3200 football pitches?

Now for those recipes – I don’t have any of my own to share, but when I asked in a blogging group, Carol shared her link with me in which she suggests some alternative ways to cook brussel sprouts. Let us know if you try any of them!

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.

Body Shop – a 50ml pot of the Spa of the World® French grapeseed body scrub with organic sugar and grapeseed powder. As I already have my mango scrub, which I got for my birthday, I’m putting the grapeseed scrub in the giveaway box.

Glossybox – a deluxe sample of the Nip+Fab dragon’s blood fix serum which I have already talked about on my blog before. It’s a lovely serum that absorbs quickly and “delivers an instant shot of moisture to dehydrated skin”. It’s something I used, and I was glad to get another one.

Unseen Beauty Blogmas Giveaway

Blogmas – I stroked a reindeer

It’s the first day of Blogmas!

Today I’d like to share with you a wonderful experience that I had a couple of weeks ago, on a day about as grim as today weatherwise!

S had seen an advert for the Berkshire Christmas Fair, so we decided to go along and maybe start some Christmas shopping.

Fortunately they had some big tents up, because it rained quite heavily. Snow would have been better to make it feel Christmassy, but we managed to stay dry.

My favourite part was my encounter with a reindeer. I think they were there for the children, but you know, adults love reindeer too, and I think for me it was extra special because I’ve only ever been able to touch models of them. When you do that and have never seen a real one, you don’t really get an idea of their size or proportions. So when I stroked that soft muzzle as he munched away on his carrot, it literally brought reindeer to life for me. He was perfectly happy to stand there and be stroked, though to be honest he was more interested in the carrot than his admirers!

There were two reindeer there so that one could have a rest and the experience wasn’t too intense for them. They could also go back away from the people if they wanted to.

I can’t tell you all that I bought because some of it was Christmas presents for people who will be reading this! In terms of things that we got for ourselves, I found a little pewter owl to sit in my office, and we stocked up on fudge (coffee fudge is amazing!), shortbread (white chocolate an lemon shortbread is amazing!) and I munched my way through a selection of sample cheeses before deciding on three favourites to buy.

I found that some home fragrance gives me a headache, but recently I’ve discovered that reed diffusers can work for me as long as they’re not too floral. I got a sweet nectarine and vanilla one from Nostara candles – they have arrange of candles and diffusers on their website including others like linen and gardenia, and bergamotte and black tea.

We also got some cider from Norcotts Cider who are based in Devon and only use locally sourced ingredients. Who knew that pink grapefruit cider was a thing? I didn’t – but took some away with me, along with pear and raspberry.

In the end, we had bags of shopping and tried to make a dash back to the car – as far as you can dash with one person on a crutch and trying extra hard not to go flat on their face in the mud!

This was followed by dinner and an afternoon in Reading, so all in all a fun day!

The Berkshire Christmas Fair was only on for one weekend, but there are other events planned for Cambridge, Staffordshire, and Essex – you can check out the full list here.

Advent calendar unboxing

Throughout Blogmas I’ll be unboxing my two advent calendars from Glossybox and the Body Shop and giving a brief product review.

Body Shop – a 60ml shower gel in the new vanilla marshmallow range. This is one of the Christmas scents (2 out of the 3 are included in the calendar with the fox and fortunately for me, they are the two I like most!) It’s similar to the vanilla pumpkin range, but obviously with marshmallow instead of pumpkin. I’ve already been using a body lotion in this scent, and it’s good to start getting you in the Christmas spirit!

Glossybox – a deluxe sample of a Nars velvet lip glide. This was not my first Nars lip product, but it is my first liquid lip from them. If I’m shopping myself, I still tend to reach for the traditional bullets, but this liquid lipstick doesn’t seem to be one that will really dry out your lips, so I’m happy with that.